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40 Virginia Cases of Hepatitis A Linked to Smoothies

August 30, 2016 at 11:04 am

(Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)

RICHMOND, Va. — There are now 40 confirmed cases of Hepatitis A that are connected to frozen strawberries used at Tropical Smoothie Cafe locations across the state, up from 28 cases less than a week ago, Virginia health officials say.

The Virginia Department of Health said in a news release Monday that about 55 percent of the infected residents have been hospitalized.

There are more than 500 of the smoothie franchises across the country, and Virginia is not the only state affected.

All the potentially contaminated Egyptian-sourced berries were pulled from the 96 Tropical Smoothie Cafe locations in Virginia no later than Aug. 8 or Aug. 9.

Officials say more cases could emerge, since some symptoms take as many as 50 days to emerge. The Hepatitis A virus affects the liver.

Many years ago when I was writing software for the NSA and DIA there was a rumor that several DEA employees had been giving their drug addicted informants and suspects needles tainted with HIV and Hepatitis viruses.

Audio confirmation of Department of Justice employees joking about committing crimes came from the warrant less wiretapping after 9/11. After 9/11 the NSA was ordered to and began data collection on local, state and federal police agencies.

These days the DEA is not much more than a proxy force for the Defense Intelligence Agency.The Defense Intelligence agency oversaw and instructed on the use of torture at Abu Graib.